Liberal nice-ism in the election a bane to political activism

“Nice-ism, n. tendency, more or less socially codified, to approach reality in terms of whether others behave cordially; tyranny of decorum that disallows thinking or acting for oneself; mode of interaction based upon the above absence of critical judgment or autonomy.”

Last week the GOP office of Orange County, North Carolina in Hillsborough was firebombed by a yet-unknown entity. Those who committed the firebombing also apparently spraypainted nearby, “NAZI REPUBLICANS LEAVE TOWN OR ELSE.”

Trump tweeted (apparently this is an official form of communication today), “Animals representing Hillary Clinton and Dems in North Carolina just firebombed our office in Orange County because we are winning.”

Clinton responded to the act by saying she hoped anyone involved was OK and that she condemned the “horrific and unacceptable act.”

Then I read in less than 12 hours some Democracts got together and gave a hefty fistful of money they raised through a “GoFundMe” campaign (more than $13,000) to that particular GOP office so they could afford to repair.

Whoever these Democrats are, they were trying to gain some kind of moral ground (as if anything about this election can be said to be based in moral considerations), as if the Trump supporters give a holy damn. They probably thought those Democrats were suckers for getting other people to shell out $13,000 to repair their office.

Anyway, this ridiculous liberal forgiveness has been reproduced a few times in the last 72 hours. Here is a description of a few images which pique the radical
imagination:

An image was released a few days ago of the image (top right) of a figure inlayed with the confederate battle flag kicking in the stomach a figure inlayed with the rainbow flag commonly representative of the LGBTQ community.

Below these figures were the words “TRUMP 2016.” Clearly this is not an official piece of merchandise from the Trump campaign, but nothing surprises me anymore.

Then, someone produced an image of the same figure overlaid with a rainbow flag which, instead of kicking back, was hugging the figure whose form possessed the Confederate battle flag with the subtitle “Forgiveness 2016.”

Then, someone edited the image, adding the word “SNAP” at the neck area of the figure with the battle flag, demonstrating that the LGBTQ community should not forgive. It should take opportune revenge on the dominant group (Trump supporters, apparently signified by the confederate battle flag) that has systemically oppressed their identities for, I dunno, 150 years or so.

“Bash the Fash” translates to “Bash the facists,” a song by
Oi Polloi, an anti-fascist punk band from the United Kingdom.

Then, a fourth, much more provocative image appeared showing a figure in a Nazi officer’s uniform being hugged by a figure I can only describe as a death camp detainee with the subtitle “Forgiveness 1933-1945.”

The distinction these dissenters are trying to make is pretty clear. Forgiveness is not the correct reponse.

So what’s wrong with
liberal niceism?

Trump and his supporters continue to be ruthless. I can’t even enumerate all the detestable trash that’s come out of his mouth and the hatred and violence he’s inspired across the country this year, and I suppose The Student had a pretty good piece a few weeks ago wherein defense of Trump could not be distinguished from defense of a convicted rapist.

The Republicans haven’t been nice! Even before Mr. Trump was declared the candidate for the Republican Party, people were violently attacking those who “did not fit in” at rallies and speeches by Mr. Trump. I don’t recall any instances of this happening at Clinton rallies or Johnson speeches, or (who are those other people?) Constitution or Prohibition Party speeches.

What angers me about the Democrats who apparently gave $13,000 to that GOP office in North Carolina is the sheer ineptitude of the act.

People who typically recieve support from Democrats — LGBTQ folks, women, disenfranchised voters — received no funds that these Democrats spontaneously raised. Groups that have been heavily scrutinized by sexists and general creeps on the right for a long time, of which these politicians represented by the GOP office in NC, are of
no exception.

Zero dollars for trans rights, zero dollars for women’s rights, even when Planned Parenthood has been subject to financial scrutiny, with the threat of divestment in several states, including Ohio before the vote was knocked down by a judge earlier this year. Zero dollars for Democratic representatives who may or may not be financially struggling in their elections in NC.

The Republicans will take the money just as easily, however — they and their goons will nod their heads at the nice stickers and posters they made, and then continue the proto-fascist parades and the violent drivel and acts. The creeping authoritarian ilk doesn’t end because you were nice once or twice.These creeps need to be politically defeated. Do not play nice with those on the right seeking to do violence (social or physical) to those it believes inferior, keeping in mind their list is very long.